


Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart

by Dzuljeta



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Dimension Travel, Dimension-Hopping Rose, F/M, Fluff, Kissing, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Reunions, Reunited and It Feels So Good, Romance, Snogging, Telepathy, Tension, Time Lady Rose, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-23
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2018-12-19 04:22:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11889903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dzuljeta/pseuds/Dzuljeta
Summary: Rose, never losing hope, has convinced her Torchwood colleagues and, primarily, Jackie, that she needs to return to her home world. She does, but the reunion turns out to be a little different than expected.





	1. At Last

**Author's Note:**

> BBC owns everything.

**Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart**

 

**1\. At Last  
**

 

“I'm sorry to interrupt, Doctor, but someone's looking for you,” Donna spoke uncomfortably,. knowing how exhausted the Spaceman has been after their latest adventure. But who could have known the Skelans were going to be so unwelcoming? More so, who could have known the Spaceman would be so affected?

 

The Doctor sighed at her. “If you're talking about Martha, she knows what she's done. I am not talking to her.”

 

The redhead shrugged at him. “I'm sure she's sorry, Doctor. No, I'm not talking about anyone I know. But this woman seems pretty determined to have a word with you.”

The Doctor sighed, exasperated. He has expected to be left in peace, at least for the remainder of the day.

“Fine, I am going to meet her. Whoever this woman is, whatever she wants, I'm planning to only be gone for a couple of minutes.”

“Sure, Doctor,” Donna waved him off and went to look for Martha Jones. Poor girl had somehow managed to insult an entire alien species with some words she thought were encouraging. However, she has learnt 'good luck' was a grave insult to the self-assured Skelan race.

* * *

The Doctor has exited the TARDIS with a blinding grin on his face. He was not in the mood for more incidental quarrels with strangers.

“Hello. How may I help you? I must warn you, I can't grant you more than several minutes, sorry...”

Rose Tyler blinked at him. “Thought you might have been busy with your companions, but to _this_ extent-”

He stared at her, stunned for a moment.

She was still looking at the Doctor warily. The Time Lord has grinned at her instead, understanding what was different about the girl at once.

“What about you? _Rose?_ Has _this_ been my doing? Somehow?”

Rose rolled her eyes at him. “Always thinking you're the one responsible, Doctor?”

 _Well..._ “I knew you would find a way to come to me!”

She grimaced. “That's what I did. But you should in no way be smiling.”

“W- why, what's wrong?” All sorts of horrible scenarios started playing in his head. “What's happened?”

“Do you really want to know?”

“Yes!”

“I have only been allowed off that bloody Pete's World because I have come up with an excuse I can already see is absolutely worthless. Doctor. How many more minutes can you spare on me? Or are we talking _seconds_?”

“What are you talking about? He was stunned.

“About swearing to Mum you would welcome me back. About foolishly believing you would – that you-”

Her trembling voice has answered whichever doubts the Doctor might have had. “I don't want seconds or minutes with you.”

Rose's face has lost all colour. She bit her lip, trying her best to keep her emotions locked away.

“Rose! You don't understand, do you?” The Doctor's voice was soft.

She did not reply, not looking at him.

“I want to spend forever with you,” he turned her face towards him. “That is, if you still want?”

“Yeah,” she breathed, suddenly allowing her tears to fall freely.

“Hasn't a couple of minutes passed yet?” Rose has eventually found her tongue.

_What?_

“I don't care,” he admitted, grinning at her widely. “They can do whatever. Even count seconds to my return, if that pleases them.”

The fair-haired girl has finally dared to wrap her arms around him, delighted to feel his arms – and his entire Time Lord essence – welcoming her eagerly.

Proceeding in any way, however, was momentarily delayed.

* * *

 

“Everything all right there?” Donna shouted. It was unusual for the Doctor to behave against his words.

“We're fine, thank you,” he spoke dryly. “You don't need to worry. Better yet, get back into the TARDIS?”

Donna blinked at him. _Ooooh._ A woman he seems to enjoy spending time with. This was going to be interesting.

“By the way, Martha's not to know until we tell her!” He spoke almost threateningly.

_Not to know what?_

“Of course,” the ginger nodded instead. The Spaceman's choices in life have been his to make. If her fellow companion was having trouble in understanding it – Donna knew better than to take any part in Martha's imagining of things. At least, she knew when it was best to keep quiet.

“One question before I go, yeah?” the redhead knew she would explode if she didn't give the question.

“Hm?” The Doctor was suddenly at ease. Anyone could ask him anything now.

“Several minutes is no longer an option?”

The Time Lord stared at her. “No!”

The ginger companion exhaled loudly, hoping this alone was enough to express her relief.

“That's good to know. By the way,” Donna eyed the two smugly, “don't postpone kissing for too long. It's said to produce dreadful withdrawal syptoms!” With a smirk, the woman was back inside the TARDIS.

Rose has burst into laughter. “Snogging, eh?”

“If you want,” he shrugged at her seriously.

“Do _you_ want it?”

“Must you really give me this question, love?”

Rose exhaled. “If we begin... if we return to what could have been, Doctor, you must know every fond, or maybe not so fond expression has to be justified. That's what Mum's taught me.”

The Doctor smiled. “Jackie, oh, Jackie...”

“I'm waiting,” Rose eyed him wryly, even though it was clear to him she was about to break out in giggles any second.

“Does _love_ bother you, Rose Tyler?”

“No!”

“Oh, really?” he teased.

Rose did not reply at once. She could not, because the Doctor has decided risking withdrawal has been the very last thing either of them deserved.

 

“I'm sorry,” he 's shrugged at her apologetically afterwards.

“Why?” She grinned at him, excited. No vocal confirmation of his never-before-confirmed feelings was necessary, when the flood of love and tenderness has flooded her mind almost the moment their lips have touched.

“Because, had you remained human, Rose, I might still have behaved so unjustifiably distant to you,” he admitted quietly.

“It's all for the best I'm not, then,” Rose smiled at him tensely.

“Would you have found your way back, had you-”

She eyed him thunderously. “Without Jack? Without the staff in Torchwood?”

“No?”

“Possibly.”

_Possibly yes or possibly no?_

The Doctor's excitement was overflowing. Rose grinned at him instead, delighted. For that was how it was supposed to be.


	2. No Struggle

**Previously...**

~~~~_“Possibly.”_  
Possibly yes or possibly no?  
_The Doctor's excitement was overflowing. Rose grinned at him instead. That was how it was supposed to be._

* * *

 

**Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart**

  
**2\. No Struggle**

“I don’t want to talk about the could-have-beens,” Rose exhaled. “It’s not really necessary, yeah? I mean… If you’d rather-”

Whatever she was having in mind was possibly something he could have happily blindly turned to, but the fellow TARDIS travellers had to be considered as well.

“We might need to step into the TARDIS soon,” Rose remembered, forcing herself out of the blissful sensation of togetherness now clouding her reasoning.

Their reunion was eventually going to be interrupted, the Doctor realised. Unless…

Just like his fair companion, he wasn’t sure this sudden encounter hasn’t had any side effects on his common sense. Not that he minded.

“Would you like to take a walk with me?” The Time Lord has uttered the only solution he could think of which did not include them getting back into the ship right away.

“It's not fair towards your companions!” Rose reminded him, giggling excitedly just the same. “They might want to join us?”

The Time Lord shrugged at her. “Is this your vengeance to me? For never telling you-”

She smiled at him tensely. “More like for all the tears I have shed because of you being an ignorant idiot.”

The Doctor looked at her apologetically. _Yes. I am one. Sorry._

Rose grinned at him, not having expected an apology from the alien so soon. “It’s been quite a long time ago, but all right. You’re forgiven.” _My Doctor._

* * *

 

Too bad not every plan was meant to work out quite so simply.

“Hello?”

“Martha. What is it?” The Time Lord glared at her, pulling Rose to himself. Too little time has passed for him to forget her foolish mistake which has only barely not caused trouble impossible to get out of.

“It’s nothing,” Martha Jones looked at them almost shyly. “Donna has sent me to check the situation here.”

“Everything’s fine,” he grumbled. “What else is it you’d like to know?”

“Nothing much, really. Have fun,” Martha sent them a smug look before leaving.

“A walk?” The Doctor grabbed Rose by the hand urgently. It seemed to her this brief chat with his companion unsettled him.

“If you want to go for a walk, you need to calm down first, Doctor," Rose reasoned. “Better tell me what it is that’s left you so uneasy. Can I help, by any chance?”

The Time Lord grew uncomfortable. Rose did not deserve to see him so unlike himself, not so soon after...

“I’m sorry. So sorry. I don’t want to cause you any unpleasant sensations, ever. Trust me, love.” he eyed her pleadingly.

“Maybe, if you keep treating me like someone made out of glass, I’ll need to slap you,” Rose threatened him half-heartedly.

The Doctor was surprised. “You weren’t that much against my other self treating you that way, I thought-”

“I’m not! But back then, I didn’t know I was going to become one of your kind. It kind of… changes the way you see things, yeah?”

Without another word, the Gallifreyan has pulled her into a snog like no other.

“Are you going to take a walk with me?” He asked again after Rose seemed sensible enough to respond after _that_. “I need… some time away from my other companions,” he blushed.

Rose gave him her tongue-touched grin. “If your kisses are nowhere as scarce from now on, I might just agree!”

The Doctor eyed her teasingly.

“Outside is one thing, but what about when we return aboard?”

The girl glared at him. “It seems to me you’re afraid to introduce your companions to me. What are they going to do? Try to take you away from me?” She giggled, incredulous.

Somehow, ever since she has fully accepted the changes in her nature, jealousy seemed like something silly - particularly when it was perfectly clear to her the Doctor has only had eyes for her.

The alien’s response was nowhere as light. “Martha has tried to seduce me several times. Now, she’s uncomfortable at looking me in the eye,” he looked at Rose with a wicked smirk in his look.

 ~~~~Rose didn’t want to let go so easily. “What have you done?”

It was unlike the Doctor to ever take some brutal measures against his companions - Adam never deserving the title of a companion, of course.

“A lot of dreadful things have happened while you weren’t here, Rose,” he spoke lowly. “Weren’t it for Donna, I could have sent Martha wherever, if only to avoid her obsessively-sparkling eyes when looking at me,” the Doctor giggled bitterly.

“Then, Mickey happened. You can’t imagine how thankful I was he has made Martha fall for him!”

“Mickey…”

“Smith, obviously,” he clarified.

“Mickey!” Rose squealed excitedly.

She has truly missed talking to one of her best friends and couldn't help herself.“How is he doing? Where is he?”

“Be careful. I might get jealous,” he warned her jokingly.

Rose beamed at him. “I guess I could ask Martha?”

“Trust me, you don't want that!” The Doctor remembered just how wild Martha could get whenever someone insulted Mickey or did not take their love for granted.

“They keep meeting whenever they can. Their relationship is very much not my business.”

Rose smirked at him. “Neither is it mine.” She was perfectly content with knowing the couple was happy.

“And Donna?”

Rose felt addressing the topics she did not truly care about was pointless, but showing some interest couldn't hurt. “Does she-”

“Don't talk,” his tongue invaded her mouth and Rose has sworn to herself to only get involved in some useless small talk if the Doctor showed his wish to interrupt it with a snog. One she could not get out of her Time Lady mind quite so easily.

“Could you please kiss me again and never let go until-”

“Until everybody knows we're together?” The Time Lord offered, smug. “You know just how much time that's going to take?”

Rose shook her head, exasperated. “Can't you mark me as yours, or something like that?”

The Doctor believed he could read something else in her gaze.

“Do you mean marriage?” He beamed, excited.


End file.
